Films: August 5 - 11

First Reformed (2017)

Mr. Right (2016)

Angel-A (2007)

D.O.A. (1950)

D.O.A. (1988)

Dead On Arrival (2018)

Narrow Margin (1990)

Warning Shot (2018) /// 

First Reformed (2017) Anchored by Ethan Hawke's wrenching, questioning priest, a bitingly emotional and provoking story of faith, futility and hope. The purity of visuals matches narrative severity, while Amanda Seyfried provides a soulful escape. Dark, beautiful, spiritual tale.

Mr. Right (2016) Despite the efforts of fantasist Anna Kendrick and delusional hitman Sam Rockwell, who occasionally spark some life into individual scenes, the self-aware dialog and characters tend to dampen the narrative. Tonal shifts and slapstick violence feel arbitrary.

Angel-A (2007) Despite gleaming black and white visuals and some dynamic scenes, the urban, fairytale redemption of a low-level criminal by a striking, unrepentant angel, never really jells as comedy, drama, fantasy or original genre mashup. Harmless reminder of better, more affecting films.

D.O.A. (1950) After the deliciously dark setup of a man revealing he's been murdered, noirish thrills take a while to kick in as Edmond O'Brien finds he's poisoned and has only a few days to find his killer. Blunt visuals, and increasingly frantic pacing, overcome often arch characters.

D.O.A. (1988) Other than the initial premise, appealing leads Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan find themselves on the run from police and killers in an increasingly flimsy narrative very different from the original noir fatalism. With an erratic visual style and uneven pacing, momentum never builds.

Dead On Arrival (2018) With some sleek visuals amid atmospheric Louisiana locations and peppered with snappy dialog, a routinely enjoyable retread as a vaccine salesman struggles to find who poisoned him. Without dark, noir fatalism, the story and thrills never quite deliver.

Narrow Margin (1990) Principled DA Gene Hackman must deliver reluctant witness Anne Archer from the Canadian wilderness and back to Los Angeles to testify. Suspenseful sequences, solid performances and the classic train setting makes for a diverting, energetic, glossy thriller.

Warning Shot (2018) An opening act sets up mother and daughter on hard times retreating to recently deceased grandfather's remote home only to face cruel, hired guns sent to claim water rights. However, plot mechanics fast stagnate, increasingly bogged down by inert storytelling.